Chinese state media has threatenedย Australiaย with retaliatory ballistic missile strikes ifย Canberraย gets involved in a potential military conflict overย Taiwan. State-run outlet the Global Times on Saturday published an editorial from its editor-in-chief Hu Xijin with a headline: “Chinaย needs to make a plan to deter extreme forces ofย Australia.”
Hu saidย Chinaย should retaliate with ‘long-range strikes’ ifย Australiaย gets involved in a potential military conflict overย Taiwan, according to Theย Australian.
‘I suggestย Chinaย make a plan to impose retaliatory punishment againstย Australiaย once it militarily interferes in the cross-Straits situation,’ he wrote in an opinion piece. “The plan should include long-range strikes on the military facilities and relevant key facilities onย Australian soil if it really sends its troops toย China’s offshore areas and combats against the PLA (People’s Liberation Army),” Hu added. He went on to say that “Chinaย loves peace” but also threatens “disasters” againstย Australia. “Chinaย has a strong production capability, including producing additional long-range missiles with conventional warheads that target military objectives inย Australiaย when the situation becomes highly tense.”
The warning comes afterย Australia’s home affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said the “drums of war” were beating. Pezzullo sent a message to staffers where he did not specifically mentionย Chinaย but said “the drums of war beat – sometimes faintly and distantly, and at other times more loudly and ever closer”. Last month, Defence Minister Peter Dutton warned potential conflict betweenย Australiaย andย Chinaย overย Taiwanย “should not be discounted”.
Beijing claims full sovereignty overย Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the south-eastern coast of mainlandย China, even though the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei has been countering the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.ย Chinaย has threatened that “Taiwan’s independence” means war. Tensions betweenย Chinaย andย Australiaย have escalated over a slew of issues. Last week,ย China’s National Development and Reform Commission said it would “indefinitely suspend” all activities under theย China-Australiaย Strategic Economic Dialogue, a forum launched in 2014 and last convened in 2017, reported Southย Chinaย Morning Post (SCMP).
The Chinese agency said that the decision was made because ofย Australia’s “Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination” that had disrupted cooperation. Australiaย recently canceled agreements to participate inย China’s Belt and Road Initiative, terming it as “inconsistent with country’s foreign policy”. Chinaย has dubbedย Australia’s decision to scrap the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with Beijing as “unreasonable and provocative”, warning that this would further “damage” bilateral relations.
